24 March 2026

In Too Deep by James McQueen

In Detail

While McQueen uses language almost like a physical material, it is also employed with ambiguity. Words and phrases frequently appear isolated, enlarged, repeated or stripped away from narrative context, so that their meanings become altered, unfamiliar or difficult to pin down. Here, we look at In Too Deep in more detail.

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With IN TOO DEEP, McQueen continues his exploration of language as an unstable and expressive material. This work resists any...

James McQueen

In Too Deep, 2026

Mixed media on canvas

183 x 122 cm

With IN TOO DEEP, McQueen continues his exploration of language as an unstable and expressive material. This work resists any single interpretation or narrative, adopting Banksy’s recognisable image of two figures dressed as deep sea divers locked in an embrace, a work which originally appeared on the cover of Blur’s 2003 album Think Tank. Rendered here as a central motif, the image provides a metaphor for the overwhelming feeling of falling in love – full of intimacy and emotional commitment. McQueen does not depict this directly but allows both the phrase and the image to each provide context to the other. This level of vulnerability that can be found in many of his recent more open-ended paintings. The diving suit in this context is significant, suggesting both immersion and protection. The masked figures are also notable for their anonymity, much like McQueen and Banksy themselves, and carry references to Rene Magritte’s symbolic 1928 painting, The Lovers, which depicts two enshrouded figures kissing.

IN TOO DEEP details, 2026, Mixed media on canvas, 183 x 122 cm

McQueen’s materially layered surface is also a physical manifestation of ‘going deep’, through his complex, time-laden painting practice. In this sense, IN TOO DEEP reveals itself to be a profoundly conceptual painting, exemplifying the evolution of his recent process towards more textural surfaces, as well as more emotionally exposed and personal themes. In choosing not to describe love directly, he evokes the precariousness, intensity and risk that come with giving ourself emotionally to another person.

James McQueen is a British artist based in the United Kingdom. Working under a pseudonym, he has exhibited publicly as James McQueen since 2017. His practice is rooted in a sustained engagement with the material and graphic culture of vintage books, an interest first cultivated through his grandfather, an avid reader and collector. These early encounters with book design laid the foundation for artistic work that draws heavily on typography, layout and the visual language of mid-twentieth-century publishing.

McQueen reimagines forms designed for immediacy and consumption through a materially and conceptually layered painting process. His signature titles feature satirical and confrontational humour drawn from personal experience and popular culture that resonates both universally and personally, humorously incorporating themes of love, hope, vulnerability and defiance, in artist’s ongoing pursuit of authenticity.

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JAMES MCQUEEN

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